Stories Like These
by lizzybennettdarcy
Summary: One-shots based on prompts or little nuggets of inspiration about my favourite Glee (non)couple. Other characters will vary. Rating will vary. Genre will vary. Everything will vary? If you want something written, pm me.
1. Soup, chocolate and crushes

**I'll start with an apology (Man do I start all of my fics like this now?). Between fulltime university, fulltime work and fulltime life; writing is coming a distant 12th. I have not forgotten about any of my stories. I recently reread all of them and added 'complete' status to the ones I felt were finished but I am still writing for the rest. In theory.**

**I haven't been particularly inspired. Between reading boring text books and sitting through boring lectures, my imagination is asleep. Thus, this little prompt exercise. I spent about ten minutes on this. I doubt any of them will be longer than 1000 words, but I'm hoping it'll help. I also won't be adding to any of them. These will be my Puckleberry ones, and I'm sure I'll add an Olicity one in the next week or so. Thanks for your patience, gentle readers.**

**Enjoy! Rated T+ because of Puck's mouth.**

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**_prompt: An unabeled can of soup, a cigarette pack full of m&amp;ms, an unrequited crush_**

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Puck slammed the door behind him as he stormed into his apartment. The fight had been pointless, a common theme in all of their fights lately. He chucked his wallet and phone on the couch as he headed into the kitchen to grab a beer.

She drove him up the fucking wall. He wasn't her goddamned boyfriend and yet he was still getting stuck dealing with this crap.

Opening the fridge he cursed under his breath. His roommates had finished the pizza again. He opened the cupboard and dubiously stared at the lone can of unlabeled soup. He shook his head and closed the cupboard. That was the last time he put Sam in charge of groceries.

He trudged back into the living room and sat heavily on the couch. He flicked through the channels aimlessly as their fight assailed his already exhausted psyche. Their fights had gotten more and more toxic and he doubted that either of them were really mad at each other. They'd been dancing their little dance for too damn long and the sexual tension had finally become real tension.

He had acted like a dick, he'd own that. But where the hell did she get off inviting him over to help pick out her date outfit? She had to know how he felt. So he snapped. She was playing games and they were too old for this crap.

Puck's fingers twitched for his pocket blindly. He only kept the pack of cigarettes for occasions like this. He'd quit that crap years ago. And yet he found himself smoking once or twice a week lately. He stood and moved over to the window. Opening the window, he climbed onto the fire escape. The last thing he needed was shit from Blaine and Sam for smoking inside. He popped the carton open and reached for the lighter in his pocket. His eyebrows furrowed when he reached for a cigarette and came away empty.

"What the hell?" He muttered before turning the carton upside down. He watched as the m&amp;ms fell into his outstretched hand. His eyes snapped shut as he warred between fury and amusement. He popped the chocolate into his mouth before crawling back in through the window. He tossed the empty pack on the couch and grabbed his wallet and phone.

He hurried through the snow that was lightly falling around him. He managed not to slip as he ran up the steps and pounded on her front door. He shivered on the doorstep as he heard her fumbling with the locks. The door cracked open and his eyes landed on her tear-stained face. He sighed and stepped forwards.

"I'm sorry." He promised as he brushed the last remnants of tears from her cheeks.

Rachel shook her head vehemently. "No, I'm sorry. I acted like a brat. I shouldn't have asked you over for that reason. I don't even have a date tonight. I was just so tired of us beating around the bush and-" Her words were cut off as he pressed his lips against hers. There was no hesitation as she threw herself into the kiss.

She stepped back and licked her lips. "Chocolate?"

Puck chuckled and shook his head. "I needed a smoke."

Rachel rolled her eyes with a shrug. "They're so unhealthy, Noah!"

Puck laughed and followed her into her home. "And chocolate is better?"

"I was trying to come up with better ways for you to deal with your stress. Smoking is so unhealthy and the last thing I want is for-" He kissed her and she huffed. "You really need to stop doing that when I'm talking." She told him, failing to look offended.

Puck waggled his eyebrows and pulled her against his chest. "I can think of a few _great _stress relievers, Rach."

As Rachel shivered in anticipation, Puck realized that maybe his feelings for her hadn't been so unrequited after all.

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**Thoughts? Thanks for reading.**


	2. Fan Fiction

**Yet another prompt. Here we go. This one is way longer than the last. There a probably a ton of mistakes and for that I apologize. I hope you enjoy!**

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**_Prompt-Characters discover fanfiction about themselves._**

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Rachel spun on her heel and sidestepped in perfect time with the beat. She could tell by the look on her teacher's face that he was less than pleased with how their practice was going. She huffed as Finn tripped over his feet just behind her. Mr. Schuester sighed and turned off the music that they had been practicing their choreography to.

"Alright, that was…" He trailed off dubiously. "Let's take twenty, shall we?"

Rachel watched as her teacher all but ran from the room, going to complain to Miss Pillsbury no doubt. She turned to survey her gleemates and frowned at what she saw. Most of her classmates were huddled around Santana who had her laptop open and on her lap. They all appeared to be reading something over her shoulder. Disregarding them, she turned to watch as Finn and Noah argued across the room from where she was standing. It hadn't escaped her notice just how tense things between the two former friends had been in the past several weeks.

"Just try not to trip over your damn feet again, Hudson. You almost took everyone out last time." Puck growled before walking away from him and throwing himself into a chair away from everyone. Rachel's brows furrowed as she watched Finn storm out of the classroom. She knew that she should follow after him; that was what fiancés were supposed to do after all. Instead she found herself walking towards Noah and sitting next to him quietly.

"Man, I ship them so hard!" Brittany cooed loudly.

Rachel glanced over her shoulder at the group and watched as they all nodded in agreement. She glanced over at Noah and he shrugged.

* * *

Rachel hurried to her class. The day hadn't started well. Her alarm hadn't gone off and so she had been forced to skip her early morning routine. Her hands smoothed down the skirt of her dress as she tried to slither through the many bodies in the hallways. She caught snippets of conversation about 'shipping' and 'otp' but she ignored her confusion as she did her best to get to class on time.

"Good morning, Noah!" She greeted her mohawked ex as she strode past his locker. She didn't notice the smiles on her classmates' faces. But Puck did.

* * *

Puck stalked through the hallways with a scowl on his face. After striking out with the glee club, he decided to find Jewfro. The little dweeb was a creep but he was always in the know. He was more than a little pissed off at his so-called 'friends' and the way they'd smirked and giggled but failed to answer any of his questions.

"Jewfro!" Puck roared as he cornered the creep by the gymnasium, where he'd been creeping on the cheerleading practice.

Jacob whirled around in horror and took several hasty steps back before Puck grabbed him by his lapels and slammed him against a locker.

"What the hell is going on around here?" He demanded.

Jacob's eyes widened. "I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific?" He whined.

Puck's jaw snapped closed as he tried to reign in his anger. He was getting seriously sick of the weird smiles and giggles that had been following him.

"Why is everyone glued to their damn cell phones and why is everyone giggling when they see me? What the fuck is an 'otp' and why do people keep 'shipping' them?" Puck snarled.

Jacob's mouth turned down and he frowned sullenly at the ground. "'Otp' means one true pairing in the world of fan fiction. People pick who they believe are destined to be together and they 'ship' them."

Puck scrunched up his face in confusion. "Just what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

He released Jacob and the boy fell back against the locker. Jacob pouted. "The school has been hit by the fan fiction craze. But it isn't fiction. Students are writing their ideal McKinley. They pair different teachers together and different students together. There are even a few teacher/student pairs."

Puck crossed his arms. "You're telling me that people are writing stories about life here? Like living through it once isn't bad enough." He muttered.

"Yes, well, it's caught on rather quickly and with the help of a large group of devoted 'shippers', one 'otp' has risen to the top." Jacob explained.

Puck's eyes narrowed as understanding began to dawn on him. "And I'm a part of this 'one true pairing' shit?"

Jewfro scowled at him. "Yes. Despite my best efforts, it is you, not I that has been paired with the lovely Rachel Berry."

Puck's eyes widened and he took a step back. "What did you just say?"

Jacob shrugged sadly. "They call you 'Puckleberry'. People write stories about the two of you; origin stories, alternate stories, future fics. A lot of them are very angsty, they all love the angst. But you're endgame in every single one of them."

Puck ignored the whimper in the kid's tone. "She's engaged to Finn. Or did everyone just sort of miss that clusterfuck?" Puck certainly hadn't.

Jewfro's knuckles cracked as his hands fisted suddenly. "That _loser _will never be good enough for her! And everybody knows it! There is only _one _story written about the two of them and they only end up together because _everyone else died first._"

Puck stared at the boy in front of him.

"Your approval rating is 97% amongst the populace." Jacob finished unhappily.

Puck watched as the creep turned and walked away from him.

* * *

Puck stormed into the choir room and snatched the laptop out of Santana's hands. She swore vehemently as he walked away and dropped into another chair. The rest of their classmates watched curiously he scanned the story they'd been reading. He raised an eyebrow at the group as he finished a rather explicit story about how Rachel _should _have lost her virginity.

"You guys actually read this shit?" He challenged as Rachel and Finn walked into the room.

Everyone froze before Blaine grinned cheekily. "We all ship Puckleberry."

"Yeah!" Brittany cried out. "Finchel is the worst!"

Finn and Rachel stopped and stared at the group in confusion. "What's going on?" Mr. Schuester asked from behind them.

Puck closed the laptop. "Nothing."

Everyone began muttering.

"I thought he'd say something." Sam muttered.

Puck shook his head angrily and stormed out.

* * *

Rachel leaned her head against her hand at the back of the class.

_Everyone froze before Blaine grinned cheekily. "We all ship Puckleberry."_

"_Yeah!" Brittany cried out. "Finchel is the worst!"_

Confusion reigned supreme these days. Her classmates were all acting strangely and Noah had taken to avoiding her completely.

"Oh my gosh." A girl squealed in front of her. "This one is my fave! Puck rushed in and objected to the wedding! He told her he loved her and everything."

Rachel's eyes narrowed as they found the screen in front of the girl. Her name was mentioned frequently but the news item wasn't true. It hadn't happened.

"Yeah, they suck apart but together they're totally perf!" Her friend replied.

Rachel watched quietly as the girls giggled and talked about true love.

"Finn _is _cute though. Just not with her."

Rachel opened her own laptop and hesitantly typed her name into the search bar. Thousands of results popped up but she had certainly never heard of fan fiction before, so she didn't understand why her name was attached to those search results. She glanced up at the teacher who himself didn't even seem engaged in his lecture. She looked around before clicking on the first link.

* * *

Rachel wiped at the tears that continued to fall as she closed her laptop. What had started as curious research had ended up being a time-consuming addiction.

She had always wanted fame. Always. And to find that thousands of stories had been written about her was a revelation. And the stories, for the most part, were just _so _beautiful.

She wasn't quite ready to acknowledge how strange it was that reading various scenarios where Puckleberry was endgame made her smile. Because acknowledging that would mean that she'd made a mistake in agreeing to marry Finn.

Rachel had never been a procrastinator, but as she clicked on another story, she decided that escaping for a few more hours couldn't hurt.

* * *

"Is this why you've been so busy lately?" Finn roared angrily as he stormed into the choir room. He was waving a stack of papers around as Rachel gawped at him.

"What?" She mumbled unintelligently. "I'm sorry, excuse me?"

Finn threw the papers at her feet and her eyes dropped and landed on a story. She stared down at the title and the details of the story before slowly looking back up at him.

"What exactly are you accusing me of, Finn?" She asked evenly, aware of the audience.

"Are you cheating on me?" He asked quietly.

Santana snorted. "Yeah right, Finnderella. If she had come to her senses, then those stories wouldn't exist."

Finn snarled and turned to face her. "You read this crap, Lopez?"

Santana laughed and stepped up to face him. "I _write _this _gold, _Hudson. I ship Puckleberry. Finchel and _you _are the worst."

Puck stepped between the two of them and put a hand on Finn's chest. Rachel bit her lip as she watched Finn whirl on him.

"That's enough, Hudson. It's not a big deal." Puck reasoned.

"Are you kidding?" Finn bellowed. "You're trying to steal my girl again and the whole damn school is behind you!"

Rachel stepped forward, unsure of what to do or say.

Puck laughed darkly. "I'm not after your girl, _Finn_. She's yours. Always has been, always will be. No amount of stories are gonna change that. It doesn't matter that everyone else knows you're shit together. She'll choose you. So stop being such a dick."

Rachel's eyes filled as she listened to Noah and watched him turn on his heel and walk back out.

* * *

She found him on the bleachers. She almost smiled, because where else would he be? She moved to sit beside him. He did nothing to acknowledge her presence. She sighed and stared out at the field.

"I found the stories last month." She admitted quietly. His head jerked and he stared at her face searchingly. "I was surprised and hurt at first. But then I started reading them. And I fell a little bit in love with it all. It didn't bother me that everyone wanted me with someone else, it didn't bother me that Finn was always the bad guy in the stories."

She paused but he didn't say anything.

"I make a lot of mistakes, Noah." She paused when he snorted. "I broke up with Finn." She met his eyes. "But that's a pretty big deal. We've been together and apart for so long now that I need some time."

He nodded before attempting a wry smile. "Well we'll always have the stories."

Rachel squeezed his hand. "I have a feeling that we'll have more than those stories, Noah."

* * *

It shouldn't have surprised her that their first kiss hadn't been as private as they'd thought. But as they read through the stories about their first kiss, they couldn't help but think that their reality was still better than their classmate's fiction.

But yeah, she totally shipped Puckleberry.

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**Any thoughts? Thanks for reading!**


	3. Third Party

**As maybe of you have probably noticed in my previous fics, I'm more than a little bit in love with Blaine/Puck friendships. Therefore this particular prompt made me_ verrrrry_ happy. You'll notice that Blaine starts to think of Puck as Noah instead of Puck, I've always sort of thought that he would have a similar effect on Puck as Rachel does. Enjoy!**

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_**Prompt: A Third party's POV on the two protagonists.**_

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Blaine Anderson sat at the back of the class and tapped his pencil against the top of his desk. He would have been better suited for an AP math class but McKinley didn't offer one. He knew that Rachel Berry had fought hard and lost an appeal for more AP courses. But what were they really expecting in Lima, Ohio anyways? His eyes fell on the small girl who was sitting three rows ahead of him and two seats over. He watched in amusement as Noah Puckerman leaned across the aisle and flicked her hair with his pencil. Rachel shot a glare in Puck's direction but said nothing. Blaine chuckled quietly as Puck started to doodle on the edge of her notebook.

"Noah!" She whispered irritably.

Noah waggled his eyebrows at her and Blaine chuckled in surprise when Rachel retaliated by sticking her tongue out at the mohawked boy. He had never seen a playful side to either of them. He greatly enjoyed spending time with Rachel but she was usually driven to succeed and practice. He'd certainly never seen Puck laughing quite like this before.

"Something to share with the class, Miss Berry?" Their snarky teacher snapped.

Rachel blushed hotly and glared over at Puck, who shrugged innocently.

* * *

Blaine found himself once again sitting behind the two of them, this time in glee club. A smile graced his face as he watched Puck twirl one of her curls around his finger while making her laugh. Something he said amused her so much that she threw back her head and laughed heartily. Blaine glanced around the room, wondering if anyone else thought their behaviour was strange or newsworthy. Kurt was sitting in the corner with Mercedes, ignoring everything around them as they gossiped about their classmates. Only Sam, Mike and Santana seemed to notice, though none of them seemed surprised. He noticed that Brittany was staring at them with an almost manic smile on her face. He followed her gaze back and watched as Rachel's hand landed on Puck's bicep without thought.

He glanced over at Santana and she smirked back. He continued to watch the two of them as they waited for glee to start. His eyebrows furrowed when Finn stalked into the room and threw himself into the chair that Puck had previously been seated in. Blaine was confused, he'd been watching the two of them but somehow Puck had just _melted _away without anyone noticing. He glanced at the boy who was now sitting beside him and then looked back to Santana. Santana held his gaze for a moment before pursing her lips and raising one shoulder in a shrug.

Blaine had a hard time concentrating for the rest of practice.

* * *

Rumours swirled around the hallways and Blaine found himself disappointed by them. It only took one glance at her to know that the rumours were true. He watched as she pushed herself extra hard during their final performance together but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she wasn't trying a little too hard.

He found Puck beating the hell out of a punching bag in the gym and suddenly he had answers to all of the questions that he hadn't thought to ask.

Blaine stepped forwards and offered himself up as a sparring partner. Puck didn't hesitate to accept his offer or the friendship that resulted from it.

* * *

"Kurt thinks you're cheating on him with Noah." Rachel warned as she leaned against the locker beside his.

Blaine shook his head. It was an old argument at this point. He and Noah had quickly become best friends and had spent a large portion of the last several months hanging out. Kurt had a hard time trusting him it would seem, despite the fact that he had switched schools for him.

"Yeah, I know, Rach." He replied tiredly.

"Doesn't that worry you, Blaine? Aren't you afraid you might lose your boyfriend over this?" She questioned timidly.

Blaine turned and faced her squarely. "I think that Noah is worth it, don't you?"

Rachel crinkled her eyebrows and he continued. "Although, maybe you've forgotten that."

He watched as his words slipped between them. She scowled. "What does that mean?"

Blaine shoved his hands in his pockets. "You know it's because of you that he and I are even friends. I saw the way that he was with you, the way that he never was with anyone else. I wanted to be friends with that guy. And I'm kind of glad that I became friends with him, Rach. Especially since you suddenly stopped."

He shrugged at her apologetically when he noticed the tears in her eyes. "I heard about Finn's proposal. Is there any point in telling you not to do it? That there is more to life than your high school boyfriend? I figure if it was doable, Noah would have already fought you on the whole thing."

Rachel blinked back the tears and raised her chin. He cupped her cheek softly and kissed her forehead. "Something to think on, Maria."

* * *

A week later he once again sat at the back of the choir room with Santana. As he watched Rachel take a seat next to his best friend he felt a smile cross his face. The scowl that Finn threw their way as he stormed into the choir room was just the icing on the cake. He watched as his best friend grinned down at the tiny brunette and whispered something, probably filthy if the blush on her cheeks meant anything, in her ear. Santana bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Your doing?" She mused quietly.

Blaine chuckled when Brittany walked into the room and squealed, clapping her hands at the sight of Noah and Rachel.

"They would have gotten there sooner or later." He assured her. "They have something special." He glanced over at Kurt in the corner and realised that the two of then lacked that something.

He'd deal with that later though. Today was going in the victory column. Sure, Puckleberry weren't together yet, but it was only a matter of time if the matching grins on their faces were anything to go by.

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**Thoughts? Thanks so much for reading and reviewing these oneshots.**


	4. Merry Christmas, Darling

**This is just a short little one-shot for Christmas. Shout-out to MsAmyRobertson who asked me for a short and sweet Puckleberry Christmas fic. Here it is. Merry Christmas, all!**

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She stood near the back of the bar, hidden amongst the shadows. Her eyes wandered over the rowdy crowd before landing on the stage where a stool was placed in front of a mic stand. The lights flickered as the technician set up for the show. Her fingernails tapped against the glass in her hand.

She was nervous.

The lights dimmed and the crowd quieted. A single spotlight narrowed in on the young man who had taken his seat on the stool. His hands wandered over the fret of the guitar on his knee. Rachel watched as he inhaled deeply before relaxing into the first notes of his song. The crowd stilled as his mouth opened and his voice caressed the room.

He was beautiful. Utterly beautiful.

She raised her glass to her red lips and drained the contents. It had been a tough two years. Her plans had faltered, her ego had destroyed her dreams and her family had broken.

But now she found herself on the other side. She had spent two years running the Glee club and had managed to set up things for the next five years. She'd found an excellent replacement in Sam Evans and she and Sue had come to an understanding. Glee was safe and she was free to move on.

She was moving forward into the future.

But she had an important stop to make first.

She smiled as Noah Puckerman chuckled into the microphone and joked about the song he'd just sung. He had always been such a natural performer. Seeing him up there on that stage was a revelation. She suddenly wondered just how she'd lived without him for the last eighteen months.

She stepped forward and moved away from the shadows.

His eyes found hers a few moments later and an honest to God smile graced his beautiful face. She stepped close enough to see his hazel eyes sparkle and she felt her pulse quicken.

"Let me tell you a little story about a girl I used to know." He told the crowd, eyes never leaving hers. "She wanted the whole world, loved too much and lost too much. She was also the most talented girl in my world." He winked at her. "Maybe, just maybe, she'll come up here with me and give you guys a little taste."

He raised an eyebrow in challenge and she giggled. She hadn't been on a stage in two years. But as she climbed the stairs and joined him, it felt right. Somehow, doing this here, with him, was right. She was handed a microphone and then she was sitting on a stool next to him. His eyes held hers and she felt warm under his gaze.

"This beautiful woman is Rachel Berry. Remember the name, folks."

Rachel's eyes prickled as the familiar notes of "Need You Now" filled the bar. They moved through the song together as if they'd done it every day for years. But things with Noah had always been like that. They always picked up exactly where they had left off.

The crowd was howling for more but Noah flipped them the bird and told them not to be so greedy. She waved with a laugh and allowed him to pull her offstage by the hand. His lips met hers before she'd had a chance to catch her breath. Her free hand ran over his short hair as she pressed her body more firmly against his. As her lungs began to burn, she pulled away and rested her forehead against his chin.

"It's good to see you here, Rach." He mumbled into her hair.

Rachel smiled and looked up at him. "I've missed you."

His lips captured hers once more and she melted against him. There were things they needed to talk about. He and Quinn had broken up the year before and she knew he'd been heartbroken. So much had happened in the past two years, to both of them.

But there would be time for all of that later.

"Merry Christmas, Noah." Rachel whispered against his lips.

"Is that why you're here?" He wondered.

Rachel reached up and cupped his cheek. "I want to be happy, Noah. I want the kind of life that I've always dreamed of. And you're the one I want to share it with."

His grin widened. "I've been waiting to hear that since I was fifteen, babe." He dropped a kiss to her lips and then pulled her out of the bar and into the snow. "Merry Christmas, Rach."

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**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Not So Ordinary Love Story

**Prompt: You are walking downtown when you realize you are being followed.**

**This became something of a monster and I seriously considered posting this as its own story. But it came from a prompt (sort of) that I found on a writing app. It sort of marries my love of Puckleberry and Arrow. *The subject content in this one is heavy as it mentions rape, so it might trigger some readers***

** Enjoy!**

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Rachel Berry was a smart young woman. She had always prided herself not only on her immeasurable talent but also her extraordinary intellect. Her instincts hadn't always been perfect, her spotty dating history proved that, but they weren't failing her now. The hair on the back of her neck rose as her ears picked up on the sound of heavy footsteps several paces behind her. The same footsteps that had been carefully paced behind her for the last four minutes.

If she made it out of this alive, Santana was going to kill her.

Her fingers rummaged through the purse at her side, searching for the miniature pepper spray that her fathers had given her upon her move to the big city. Even as her hand moved through the bag, she knew that she had left it at home in her dresser drawer, where it had been since they bought it for her.

Tonight had been one of the best shows of her life. Her run on the critically-acclaimed Beauty and the Beast was coming to an end and the cast had rallied in the past week and outdone themselves. She had finally caved in and attended an after-party with her cast-mates.

But that was really no excuse for walking home alone at 2 AM.

Rachel surveyed her surroundings subtly as she quickened her steps. As she passed Santana's favourite bagel shop she realised she was still approximately 13 minutes from their apartment. And at a rather petite 5'1, it was very unlikely that she could outrun her pursuer.

A burst of panic pushed her forwards and she broke into an all-out sprint. Any doubt she'd had disappeared when the footfalls behind her echoed loudly through the darkened, empty street. She raced around a corner and realised her error too late. She knew this alleyway, and if she'd been paying attention she would have remembered that it had no exit, just a wall.

"No!" She shrieked, pounding her fist against the wall blocking her escape. A shadow fell upon her and the footfalls slowed as her pursuer stopped at the mouth of the alleyway. She blinked back tears as she slowly turned on her heel to face him.

The darkness covered his features well enough, but what little light there was told her that he was much, much bigger than she was.

"Please. Please don't hurt me." She begged, unwilling to allow something as silly as pride get in the way of her safety.

A dark chuckle echoed around her and she closed her eyes, a single tear escaping.

* * *

Noah Puckerman moved nimbly across the rooftops. Careful to keep to the shadows, he stalked quietly through the shadows of the city. He was a fairy-tale, a ghost. That was the way he preferred it.

It hadn't been one thing, but many that had led him to this life. He hadn't aspired to greatness but destiny was something you're not supposed to run from. Or so he'd been told. But that had been years ago and he did his best not to think about his past.

No one knew who he was, who he really was.

The 'Cleaner' hadn't been around that long. One day a woman had been saved from an attempted rape, by a masked man who'd broken the jaw of her attacker. Her claims of being saved by a hero had been laughed at. Until he'd saved three children who'd been kidnapped a week later.

Noah hadn't always been the Cleaner. But that's who he was now, and that was really all that mattered.

A scream caused him to divert his path and his jog became a sprint.

"Please. Please don't hurt me." A voice begged in the darkness and Noah pushed himself even harder as the desperation in the woman's voice carried through the night.

He heard her attacker laugh and he felt the rage pounding through his veins. He paused at the edge of the rooftop and gazed down upon the scene. A large man had a petite young woman by the throat, up against the wall. Noah tugged the ski mask further down his neck and backed up. Breaking into a run, he jumped across the alleyway and landed soundlessly on the lower rooftop. He lowered himself onto the fire escape and then jumped to the ground. He landed on his heels and kept his eyes on his prey. The creep hadn't even heard him.

Noah stalked forwards quietly as the man whispered into the poor woman's ear. The attacker's hand disappeared underneath the woman's jacket and Noah abandoned all plans of stealth.

"Hey, Asshole. Keep your disgusting paws to yourself." Noah growled. The man jumped and spun to face him. The woman let out a sob of relief before leaning against the wall and sitting heavily on the ground. Noah refocused on the man in front of him as he decided just what he was going to do with the motherfucker.

"Mind your own business, freak." The creep spat, furious.

Noah smirked. "Not a chance. You're not her type. Psycho rapist isn't really anyone's type though, is it?"

Creepy lost his cool and flew at him. Noah sidestepped him and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, snapping him backwards to fall on his back. The fight wasn't a long one. His opponent was big but unskilled. With the right training, his victim could have handled him herself.

Noah zip-tied the creep to a dumpster and then turned to face the woman. She was still huddled against the wall, head buried in her arms, knees against her chest. He approached her slowly, doing his very best not to spook her.

"Miss? Are you alright?" He asked softly. "You're safe now."

She sniffled into her arms before slowly raising her chin. Noah's jaw snapped shut as wide brown eyes met his own hazel orbs. Brown eyes that he had seen only in his dreams for the past nine years.

Rachel Berry.

His heart raced as he willed himself to calm down. Nobody knew where he was. He'd cut all ties.

But he couldn't just leave her there either.

Clearing his throat, he did his best to deepen his voice. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head dazedly.

* * *

No, she most certainly wasn't alright. Just minutes before a pervert had his hand under her jacket as he whispered his disgusting plans for her into her ear.

And now, she must be hallucinating because her attacker was tied to the dumpster. And her saviour? Her saviour was Noah Puckerman. Noah Puckerman who had disappeared into thin air just days after graduation. Noah Puckerman who had apparently enlisted in the army without saying goodbye.

But this wasn't possible. Because there was just no way that her ex-boyfriend had just saved her life. Because Noah Puckerman hadn't been seen or heard from in nine years.

What were the odds?

He reached down and helped her to her feet. She stared up at the mask covering his face, but it did little to disguise the man who'd haunted her for so long. Perhaps the black material hid his perfect jawline and the stubble that always clothed it, but she'd know those hazel eyes anywhere.

"You're safe." He promised, his voice purposefully deepened. She smiled.

Of course she was. She had always been safe with him.

* * *

She knew. Of course she did. Rachel Berry would never give a stranger _that _smile. That smile had always been reserved for the people she trusted. The people she _really _trusted. Even Finn hadn't gotten many of those.

He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her out of the alleyway. He'd called the police later and leave an anonymous tip. Probably. That bastard could survive the night out in the cold. It was the least Noah could do after that loser had laid his hands on Rachel.

A smile flickered across his lips as Rachel pulled him in a different direction than he'd planned on. Some things never changed. Rachel Berry was always good in a crisis.

"You should probably lose the mask, Noah. Heroic or not, your intentions might be misunderstood by any passersby that might stumble our way." She suggested dryly.

He chuckled, shaking his head before pulling the ski mask over his head and shoving it into his pocket. If she noticed the jagged scar running along his jawline, she didn't mention it.

But Rachel had always been good like that. It was one of the things he'd always loved about her.

"Where are we going, Rach?" He ignored the way her nickname just rolled off his tongue.

"Home, Noah." She promised.

* * *

Santana was out of the country on a modelling gig. The apartment was hers, and hers alone for the next three weeks. She had a feeling that Noah wasn't particularly interested in a big reunion. He'd been missing for the past nine years before resurfacing as a vigilante.

Yes, she knew who he was. She knew all about the 'Cleaner'. The press had been adamant that the vigilante was a hero and not a menace. His nickname wasn't very creative but he _had _been cleaning up the streets. The city was a safer place because of him.

She opened the door and pulled him inside.

* * *

He took a seat on her couch but his rigid posture did not relax. Being in her presence was a miracle, a life-giving gift. But she deserved answers and he wasn't sure he could give them. He watched her warily as she curled up on the couch beside him and turned on the TV. His eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Aren't you going to demand answers? Ask why I prowl around in a ski mask?" He wondered when she settled on an old movie.

Rachel titled her head against the back of the couch until her eyes met his. "You'll tell me when you're ready."

A silly grin crossed his lips before he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. He felt his body relaxing against all odds for the first time in seven years.

* * *

She woke up in his arms the next morning and for the first time in a long time, Rachel Berry felt like she was home. She knew that there were things she needed to know, things they needed to talk about. But Noah had been MIA for nine years and she had no intention of letting him go again.

He mumbled something in his sleep and she shifted so that she could see his face. His face was the picture of relaxation, a stark contrast to the tight lines and aged beauty she'd seen there the night before. Her eyes fell on the jagged scar across his jaw and her fingers brushed against the puckered flesh barely hidden beneath his stubble. She knew without asking that this was only one of many scars, physical and mental, that Noah had acquired in the time since she'd last seen him.

"I'm not the man you remember, Rach." He spoke softly and she looked up to find his tired hazel eyes watching her.

Rachel traced her fingers over his furrowed eyebrows before meeting his eyes again. "It's been nine years, Noah. People change, they grow. But-" She bit her lip and looked away.

Noah tilted her chin until he caught her gaze once more. "But?"

"But you could never change so much that I wouldn't know you anymore. It's been nine years and you probably still know me better than anyone else." She smiled softly. "And we have time, Noah. Time to get to know each other again."

He nodded thoughtfully.

* * *

He stayed.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. She made no comment when he disappeared into the night, only snuggling into his chest when he returned before dawn.

Santana had made no comment on his missing decade. She seemed to understand he was different and simply welcomed him into their home.

He and Rachel took their time. He'd loved her since childhood and she'd never left him, not for a moment. She'd been the light in the darkness and the hope on days where he had none. They got to know each other again. Some things however had not changed. They fit together. She understood when to give and take. She knew when he needed space and when he needed to be held. She asked the right questions at the right time and never pushed for more than he could give.

He'd been staying with her for five weeks when he told her his story. They were laying in her bed, fully clothed when he realised that he wanted more. They slept in the same bed and he'd kissed her a few nights before after a particularly close call with a criminal. She'd patched him up with eyes full of tears that refused to fall and he'd kissed her. But he wanted more than stolen kisses on fear-filled nights. So he reached for her hand and opened his mouth.

"The army wasn't where I wanted to be. The day-to-day wasn't what I wanted, what I needed. My CO recommended me for specialized forces and I found myself in the Marines. I spent six years with a company over in Africa. I saw things, did things, that I might never be ready to tell you about." He paused and sighed when she ran a thumb over his knuckles. "I got the news about Sarah right before my tour ended." He heard Rachel suck in a breath and he turned his head to find her squeezing her eyes shit as tears streamed down her cheeks. He'd wondered if perhaps she'd guessed part of his story. They had grown up in a small town after all. "I was given honourable discharge and I headed back to Ohio. My Ma was just –" He shook his head, it would never get any easier. "She was never the same after what happened to Sarah. I missed the funeral but I came back. They hadn't caught the guys who –" He raged against the tears that had begun to fall from his eyes and Rachel crawled up onto his chest and held him as he shook through the grief. They cried together until there were no tears left.

"I found them. I did my own digging, used the skills that the Marines had taught me." He continued tiredly. "I punished them. I spent days punishing them before I finally turned them over to the police. I wanted to kill them, I thought about killing them." He admitted quietly.

"But you didn't, Noah." Rachel whispered against his throat.

He thought about detailing the things he'd done to the men who'd raped and killed his baby sister. Part of him still felt like he needed to be punished for it, for the inhumane things he'd done. But as he watched the woman in his arms as she soothed his broken soul, he realised that she would never judge him. She had loved Sarah like a sister and she loved him more than he could comprehend. She knew what he did at night. She had likely heard about the men before tonight and the state they'd been found in.

"I spent some time cleaning up the streets in Lima but I couldn't stay there. I always hated it there, but it was worse after Sarah. Then I read about that sick bastard who had been slicing up women here and I found myself on the first plane out of Ohio. Jake moved in with Ma and she knew why I was going, I think. So I started cleaning up the streets. I didn't want anyone to experience what Sarah did. I wasn't there to protect her and I needed to atone for that." He finished tiredly.

Rachel pressed her lips against his throat. "You're a hero. You save lives, Noah. You saved _me_. Sarah would be proud of you. I'm proud of you."

They made love for the first time that night. In _their _bed.

* * *

Their love story wasn't traditional. She was a famous Broadway star who went on to become a legend in her own right. He was a battered ex-marine who spent his nights fighting crime and saving the helpless. His day job as a songwriter was one he loved but it wasn't his real calling.

He'd evolved. Rachel insisted on it. Gone was the ski mask and baggy clothes. He wore a suit made of dense Kevlar because Rachel had been hysterical when he'd almost bled out on their bedroom floor from a gunshot wound. His mask was molded to cover his scar. Rachel insisted that as sexy as the scar was, it was also easily identifiable.

He never wondered if he'd made a mistake by staying that first night with Rachel. The day that they exchanged rings and they made their vows, he knew with certainty that there would never be another woman for him. And as she smiled up at him the way that only she ever had, he knew that she'd never wanted an ordinary life anyways.

And their life was _anything_ but ordinary.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. A review, pretty please? Happy New Year!**


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